My diagnosis

So I finished my marathon a little over a week ago and, unfortunately, I still have knee pain. I pretty much had knee pain from the second the race started until I finished the race... and then some. Anyway, like the smartie that I am (I am so smart, S-M-R-T!) I decided to take an easy run on the beach yesterday and.... guess what? Knee pain. I can't tell you how soul-crushing it is for me to have this pain. Running defines me. Seriously. I am a runner. Without running, I don't know who I am. Okay, I am being a bit over-dramatic...

Although I have insurance (first time in my adult life!!), I decided to do a little self-diagnosing and figure out what is causing my knee pain. A quick google search revealed that I have (drum roll please).....

Patellar Tendinitis.

Of all knee injuries to have, this is probably the best one. No joke. It basically stems from 'too much, too fast,' which, in my case, means I increased my mileage too fast during the weeks prior to my marathon. Oh, and another cause?!? Tight quads and hamstrings! My lack of stretching has bitten me in the ass again.... I am a born-again stretcher!!

According to the Mayo Clinic website, I am in for a looong recovery, which is so NOT appealing to me (remember, running defines me!) My running future for the next few weeks or.... gulp.... months, looks pretty bleak. The recommended treatment consists of eliminating exercises that involve running, jumping, or any other activity that causes pain (GREAT!), stretching (which I'm about to become a pro at), massage (awesome!) and ice therapy. The biggest challenge for me is going to be resting and not pushing myself with activities that cause pain in my knee. I just have to remember that if I push myself, I can further worsen the injury, potentially tearing my tendon which would require surgery!! And that would be NO BUENO.

My plan for the next few weeks is to attempt to fall in love with swimming, biking, and roller blading... and hopefully it will help ease the feelings of loss that I have about not being able to run. Also, this time off will give me a chance to reflect on my love for running... which may help me take stretching, cross-training and such more seriously.

In the meantime, when any of you are out on a run, throw in a few extra steps for me and be appreciative of your body's ability to do what it does for you everyday. Don't take your running/biking/swimming/hiking abilities.... any physical activities for that matter.... for granted! We're all getting (ahem) older and we're not as spring-y and agile as we used to be so injuries can be more serious and can take longer to heal.

Getting older kinda sucks. I'm only 29 (for a few more months) and I already feel like I'm falling apart!